How would you assess Nixon's handling of the Vietnam War?

[LBJer]

I give him very low marks in this regard, as did my history teacher in college who directed my master's final project.  Not just because he took way too long, IMO, to get the U.S. out of the war, but because of his wanton disregard for Cambodia--beginning with the "secret bombing" of that country in 1969 (secret, of course, from the American people--the Cambodians sure as hell knew they were being bombed!) and continuing with the 1970 invasion, which helped to pave the way for Pol Pot. 

 

[TheGlobalizer]

I don't think anyone did anything related to Vietnam well, at all, period.

Utter disaster from end to end, but we sure showed those Russkies, didn't we?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Using Obama logic I would have to blame LBJ and not do a thing!

[© tweed]

the answer is obvious to any thinking person, but the more important point lurks.  Nixon would be much preferable to any president since, including the three (D)s.  a man not afraid to use the state, not afraid to try to commandeer the labor bureaucracy rather than take aim at it.  you'd argue this is all circumstantial and that's fine.  as I get older my dreams get crowded in favor of increasing reactionary impulses: I gush with sickening pride when I think of FDR and the Wagner Act or LBJ and Medicare.  meanwhile I'm supposed to critique it all as a necessary ceding of ground to the working and underclass in times of unrest... that's fine, but wtf is this stuff now?  the whole system goes to dust precipitating a huge counterrevolution?  first they destroy everyone's livelihood and then they grab some liquidity straight from the state, before embarking on a huge assault on labor organization and social programs.  it's like, why even bother.  just take some job paying more than I could ever in good conscience spend and marry a nice but underwhelming woman, have one child and get on with the game, praying for 'stability'.

[Gustaf]

I give him very low marks in this regard, as did my history teacher in college who directed my master's final project.  Not just because he took way too long, IMO, to get the U.S. out of the war, but because of his wanton disregard for Cambodia--beginning with the "secret bombing" of that country in 1969 (secret, of course, from the American people--the Cambodians sure as hell knew they were being bombed!) and continuing with the 1970 invasion, which helped to pave the way for Pol Pot. 

 

Did your history teacher give very low marks to you or to Nixon?

[minionofmidas]

I give him very low marks in this regard, as did my history teacher in college who directed my master's final project.  Not just because he took way too long, IMO, to get the U.S. out of the war, but because of his wanton disregard for Cambodia--beginning with the "secret bombing" of that country in 1969 (secret, of course, from the American people--the Cambodians sure as hell knew they were being bombed!) and continuing with the 1970 invasion, which helped to pave the way for Pol Pot. 

 

Did your history teacher give very low marks to you or to Nixon?

His history teacher also too way too long to get the U.S. out of the war.

[Lief 🗽]

Oh, I'm not qualified to do that. Now, members of a war crime tribunal. They'd be qualified to do that.